Design, Construction, and Preliminary Results of Two Insulation Covers at the Meadowbank Mine

• Published in: Geo-Chicago 2016 pp. 267 - 278
• Main Authors: Bussière, Bruno, Awoh, Sylvette A, Batzenschlager, Charles, Boulanger-Martel, Vincent, Voyer, Erika, Lepine, Thomas
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9780784480137; 0784480133
• DOI: 10.1061/9780784480137.027

Two experimental insulation covers made of inert waste rocks and were of 2 and 4 m-thick respectively were tested at the Meadowbank Mine site to assess the performance of insulation covers tailings storage facility. On each experimental cell, volumetric water content, matric suction and temperature sensors were installed at three stations and at various depths. Oxygen consumption tests were also performed below the cover and in the tailing pond to estimate the reactivity of the covered and uncovered Meadowbank tailings. This paper focuses on the design, the construction and the instrumentation of the tested insulation covers. Preliminary results of the monitored temperatures at the central station and of the OC tests are presented for each cell. For both tested covers, results indicate good thermal insulation performances since the covered mine tailings remain below the freezing point during the warmest period of the year. The reactivity of the tailings under the two tested covers is below the detection limit (10 moles of O2/m2/year) of the OC method while the reactivity of uncovered tailings during summer is between 20-85 moles of O2/m2/year.